Jamahal Hill reflects on what could have been at UFC 300.
The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion was thrown to the fire in his return to the Octagon, when he met Alex Pereira for the undisputed title. Hill hadn’t fought in 448 days and was coming from a ruptured achilles injury last summer but that didn’t stop “Sweet Dreams” from shooting for the stars.
In the UFC 300 main event slot earlier this month, Hill was clipped by a left hand from Pereira that put him down. The power shot found its way through the guard of Hill seconds after referee Herb Dean wanted to put a pause to the action after Hill threw a kick to Pereira’s crotch area. The champ refused the time-out from the ref and imposed his will to hear the words, “And Still”.
What Hill Could Have Done Differently
Hill details his mistakes in the exchange and how a different headspace might’ve changed the outcome of the fight.
“I would’ve been more of a gritty competitor,” Hill told Middle Easy’s James Lynch regarding his post-fight regrets. “Show less sportsmanship. Just stayed on my square more through distraction. I would’ve stayed covered and protected at all times.”
Hill: “This Ain’t The End Of The Road For Me”
Having captured the title last year, ex-champ Hill will look to climb the light heavyweight ladder once again when he takes on Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 303. The fight announcement came as a surprise last weekend with Hill not taking time to lick his wounds. Instead, he keeps busy to wipe away any doubt that came with the loss to Pereira.
“I’ve dealt with it by just moving forward,” Hill said of how he’s handling his latest setback. “At the end of the day, fighting is what I do. It’s not who I am, it’s not my entire life. It’s just benefited other areas of my life in very significant ways. I just gotta focus on that and understand this ain’t the end of the road. This ain’t the end of the road for me.
“Yeah, it sucks. Yeah, it’s unfortunate. Yeah, I saw things going an another different way, but it’s just the opportunity to meet adversity and challenge it and have other success with it.”
Alex Pereira’s Next Title Defense?
With Hill’s next assignment in the form of Khalil Rountree, many are wondering what is next for the other half of the UFC 300 headliner. Alex Pereira has expressed interest in moving up to the heavyweight division, but there’s hungry contenders waiting for him at 205lbs including Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev and of course, Hill, who wants his rematch.
The Michigan native pinpoints the next stop on Pereira’s title run and why the champion may have his hands full in this one.
“I think Ankalaev should be next,” Hill continued. “That’s part of the reason why I wanted to come back so soon— I didn’t want Magomed to get ahold of him first. Magomed’s stance is a problem for Pereira. Pereira doesn’t fight well against southpaws, you know, which is part of why kind of like that whole sequence [from UFC 300] is pointed to.
“He doesn’t take the angle and he doesn’t pursue, he doesn’t fight against southpaws very well. Magomed’s a southpaw, and Magomed also comes with a very, can come with a very grapple heavy approach as well. He picks decent shots and he is capable on the feet. So, I probably favor Magomed in that fight.”
Magomed Ankalaev is currently ranked at #2 in the UFC Light Heavyweight division, having not lost in his last 12 fights, which begs the question: Should the Russian be next in line for defending champion Alex Pereira?
